Chocolat

A fanciful fairy tale for grown-ups, Chocolat takes place in a sleepy French village, circa 1959, and stars Juliette Binoche (The English Patient, Alice et Martin) as a nomadic confectioner of sublime candy delicacies whose arrival--just as Lent has begun--stirs curiosity, gossip and scornful disdain among the locals; especially the zealous, austere and altogether too cartoonish local nobleman (Alfred Molina). Director Lasse Halström (The Cider House Rules) builds an ethereal ambience around the nomadic confectioner's enchanted chocolates and therapeutic personality that helps some villagers break with the status quo, and Binoche is winning in the lead. But the movie, which co-stars Johnny Depp as the charming leader of a band of gypsies and Judi Dench as an eccentrically sour villager, seems awfully pleased with itself for such frivolous, predictable fare. Based on the novel by Joanne Harris, this Best Picture nominee is a strong, optional purchase. (R. Blackwelder)[Blu-ray Review—July 19, 2011—Lionsgate, 122 min., PG-13, $19.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2000's Chocolat features a decent transfer with DTS-HD 5.1 sound. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Lasse Hallström and producers David Brown, Kit Golden and Leslie Holleran, a “making-of” featurette (29 min.), a production design featurette (8 min.), deleted scenes (7 min.), a segment on costumes (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid Blu-ray debut for this Best Picture nominee.]